Bring Back the Hobbits
by Snurtz
Summary: What might have happened if Saruman had not said, 'Alive and unspoiled.'
1. Chapter 1

So, I wrote this story about 2 to 3 years ago and I just remembered I had it! I posted it on originally and got lots of good reviews, so I figured I'd post it here too. This story is from the movie, not the book, obviously. It also contains parts of the EE version of TTT so if you haven't seen that part of it might not make sense.

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

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Merry and Pippin watched in horror as Boromir attacked the Orcs. Two arrows stuck out from his trembling body, and yet he still fought. A third arrow struck him in the middle of the chest, right through the heart. Boromir gasped and fell to his knees, unable to hold his own weight. He looked at the two young Hobbits, pain and guilt in his eyes. Orcs rushed past, overlooking the small creatures behind a tree to their left.

Merry looked at Pippin, a look of fear and anger on his face, and drew his short sword. Pippin did likewise. They charged into the ever-growing crowd of Orcs, slaying them as they half yelled, half sobbed on Boromir's behalf.

Pippin stabbed an Orc in the stomach and drew out the blade. Merry, close by, kicked one in the leg and stabbed the foul creature in the side. He looked to Pippin, who had turned to attack another Orc; unaware that the one he had just stabbed was still alive.

"Look out!" Merry cried, but too late. The Orc hit Pippin in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Pippin's eyes widened in pain, then closed as he fell to the ground. He let out a cry, and then lay still.

"Pippin! No!" sobbed Merry. "Pippin! Wake up! Pippin! Somebody help!"

Merry slew the Orc, who was bending to pick up the poor creature, and knelt down next to Pippin, sobbing. Then he saw Boromir, still gasping for breath, a few yards away.

He stopped, and looked on in horror as an enormous Orc stood in front of Boromir. The Orc slowly drew back its arrow, waiting until the Man looked him in the eyes to shoot. Boromir slowly moved his gaze from the Orc's feet up to the arrow-tip, fear in his eyes.

Just then several others ran out from behind the trees. Two of them picked up Merry and Pippin and ran off. Merry screamed and cried for help, but no one answered. He was carried off sobbing into the thick forest.

A moment too late, Aragorn appeared. He jumped on the Orc, and the arrow meant for Boromir's head flew up into the branches. The two fought for a few seconds, until Aragorn, nose and lip bleeding, chopped off the arm of the Orc. He then stabbed it in the stomach. It grabbed the sword and pulled it all the way through its deformed body. Aragorn pulled the sword out quickly and decapitated the disgusting creature. He ran over to Boromir, who was now on his back. Legolas and Gimli walked into the small clearing. The two looked on with sadness and pity. The two Men spoke quietly for a few minutes, and then Boromir lay still. He was dead.

Aragorn looked up to the Elf and the Dwarf, and they could see some unspoken horror under the unshed tears in his eyes.

"Merry and Pippin... they have been taken."


	2. How to Escape

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

Pippin opened his eyes. He was on his back, everything around him was dark, and his head felt light. He tried to turn his head, but the fierce pain made him cry out.

"Merry!" he called.

Merry looked up, his eyes glistening with hope. He looked to Pippin, next to him.

"Pippin, are you all right?" he asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

"Merry… my head hurts something awful. I can't even turn. It hurts even to talk," said Pippin, the pain ringing clearly in his voice.

Merry looked at Pippin in worry. "Well, your head must hurt at least a little from the light. You're looking straight at the sun."

Pippin looked confused. "But… everything is so dark," he said. "How can I be looking at the…" his eyes closed, and his brow furrowed in pain.

Merry realized with fear that the blow to Pippin's head must have blinded him. He worried for his friend's health, and wished he had never jumped out in front of the Orcs back in the forest. He then remembered that he had been trying to save Frodo, and fear gripped his heart. Was Frodo all right? Had he gotten away?

Merry's thoughts were interrupted when and Orc picked them up again. The Orcs had been carrying him and Pippin for quite a few hours, and had stopped for a few minutes to eat. He worried that if Pippin didn't get help soon, he might die.

"Pip? Are you okay?" asked Merry fearfully. When Pippin, who was on another Orc's back, didn't answer, Merry said frantically, "Pippin! Wake up!"

Pippin groaned and his head fell backward. His eyes snapped open, and he cried out in pain. Tears sprang to Merry's eyes. All this bouncing around would only worsen Pippin's condition. Merry's thoughts raced as he tried to think of a way to get the Orcs to stop. It turned out not to be necessary, since a smaller, inferior-looking Orc stepped out from behind a boulder. The Orc that Merry had guessed was the leader of the group that had captured him and the smaller Orc started to argue over something Merry couldn't hear. He took the opportunity to see if Pippin was all right.

"Pippin," said Merry. "Are you awake?"

Pippin turned slowly in the direction of Merry's voice, trying not to make his head feel worse. He opened his mouth to speak, but only strained gurgling sounds came out. He tried again, and this time he managed to get out a word.

"Water," Pippin whispered. Merry looked at his friend, then to the Orcs. He didn't think they had any water, but decided to ask anyway. He was desperate.

"My friend needs some water," said Merry. "Do you have any?"

"Shut up, Halfling!" shouted the Orc that was carrying "Be happy he's still alive!"

Tears sprang to Merry's eyes. Pippin was going to die if this kept up. He looked to Pippin, glad that he couldn't see the growing fear on Merry's face. Merry looked up when the two Orcs up front suddenly stopped arguing.

"What do you smell?" asked the smaller Orc.

"Man-flesh!" said the other. "They've picked up our trail. Let's move!"

All the Orcs began to run again. Merry thought about what this could mean, then suddenly realized.

_Aragorn!_ thought Merry. He tried to think of some way to signal that he and Pippin had been at that spot, then looked down at his cloak. The Mallorn pin on his cloak gave him an idea. He pulled the pin off with his mouth, and threw it on the ground. He watched as the Orcs ran over the beautiful pin, sad to see it gone. He knew that it was for the best, and looked away.

A few hours later, when it was dark, the Orcs stopped and threw Merry and Pippin on the ground. Pippin cried out in pain, and Merry turned to him in panic. He crawled closer to Pippin, to keep a better eye on him.

"We ain't going no further until we've had a breather!" said one of the Orcs.

"Get a fire going!" said the leader, out of breath.

Some of the smaller Orcs of the band went into the forest close by for firewood. They began chopping at the trees, which groaned, seeming almost to be communicating with one another. Pippin's face grew frightened

"What's that noise?" he asked.

Merry straightened and looked into the forest. "It's the trees," he said.

"What?" asked Pippin, horrified. He rolled onto his stomach, wincing in pain. He turned his head slowly in Merry's direction.

"Remember the Old Forest, on the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall… and come alive. Trees that could whisper, talk to each other… even move," said Merry, reflecting back on the stories he had been told.

Just then, one of the Orcs spoke. Merry's head snapped up to look at it.

"I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!" he said.

"Yeah… why can't we have some meats?" another asked. His gaze shifted to Merry and Pippin, and his eyes widened. "What about them? They're fresh," he said.

Merry looked to the Orc in horror. He didn't feel like being eaten any time soon.

"They are not for eating," said the leader Orc.

Another Orc walked up. "What about their legs?" he asked. Merry looked down on his legs. "They don't need those. Oh, they look tasty…" He headed towards the Hobbits.

Another Orc pulled them backwards. The leader ran over, and chopped off its head. It landed on Pippin's shoulder, and fell off. Merry tried not to throw up.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" he called. The hungry Orcs pushed Merry and Pippin out of the way.

"Pippin, come with me," whispered Merry. He began crawling, then remembered that Pippin couldn't see. He crawled back to Pippin, and began pushing him along. Pippin crawled slowly, trying not to move his injured head too much. He felt a foot on his back, and rolled over, wincing in pain.

Pippin could not see the Orc, but he could smell it and feel it. His eyes widened in terror.

"Go on, call for help," said the Orc, grabbing Pippin's face. Pippin's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. His head felt like it was about to explode, and Pippin's face twisted in excruciating pain. "Squeal. No one's going to save you now."

Suddenly, the Orc let out a sickening scream. It fell in between Merry and Pippin, and Merry saw the spear sticking out of its back. He looked up and saw Men on horses, attacking other Orcs all around. He looked back to Pippin, who was lying on the ground, unconscious, and his face fell. He needed to get Pippin and himself out of here, and fast… but how?


	3. Running Away

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

Pippin lay on his back, trying not to think about the pain, but could think of nothing else. He wished he was back in the Shire, where he had never known such horrible things such as this happened. His neck and back itched from the dried blood that had come from his head, which felt like it could just blow up at any given moment. His whole body was sore, right down to his toes. It hadn't helped much to be carried; it had actually made it worse, being bounced around. He wished he knew where Merry was. His mind was so occupied with the pain, he had forgotten that Merry was right next to him.

"I want to go home," Pippin said quietly.

Merry's head jerked quickly in Pippin's direction. He had just figured out a way to get out of the middle of the battle, and had thought his cousin was still asleep.

"Don't worry, Pip. I think I know how we can get out of here," said Merry. He looked worriedly at Pippin's head, which was usually light brown curls. Now it was almost hard to find, hidden under a layer of dried dark red blood. After the Orc had been killed, he had dropped Pippin's head hard on the ground. A thin stream of the crimson liquid ran down Pippin's neck and onto the ground. He worried that Pippin would lose too much blood if they didn't get help soon.

Pippin opened his eyes, hoping to see Merry's face, but still saw nothing. He hadn't been able to see for a while now, and couldn't remember what had happened. He only remembered running away from some Orcs in the woods; why he was in the woods, he couldn't remember. He remembered the horrifying sight of Boromir getting killed, protecting him and Merry. He wondered how he knew the Man, and why he had tried to save him.

He then heard Merry's voice. "Come, Pippin, I've cut my bonds with one of the Orc's knives. Let me see your hands."

Pippin obediently held out his hands. The rope had been too tight around his wrists, and had been hurting for a while now. He detected a tremble in Merry's hands as he untied Pippin's hands, and realized that Merry was scared too. He wanted to get out of there as quick as he could.

"Now give me your scarf, Pippin. I'm going to tie it around your head for a bandage," Merry said gently. Pippin untied his scarf and held it out, not knowing exactly where Merry was. He felt Merry lift his head up gently, and pursed his lips in pain. Even the slightest movement hurt. Merry knotted the scarf around his head and carefully began to pick him up. He said, "I know it's going to hurt, Pippin, but I need you to stand up. We won't get very far crawling."

Pippin tried sitting up first. He sat upright, and a small triumphant smile flashed across his face. It quickly faded away and was replaced with a look of extreme pain as his head spun from being upright. He was determined, though, and after a minute he got to his feet. His legs felt wobbly, and he was glad that Merry was there to hold him up. He stumbled, and Merry struggled to steady him. Merry knew Pippin wouldn't be able to stay up for long, and he needed Pippin to run. He knew this was going to be pushing the limit, but they had delayed quite long enough.

"We're going to run on the count of three. I'll be here to hold you. Just run, okay?" said Merry. Pippin whispered, "Okay." Merry nodded. "One… two… three!"

Merry and Pippin ran through the battle. Pippin was fully relying on Merry to lead him on, since he couldn't see a thing, and his head pounded. He cleared his mind of everything but putting one foot in front of the other, and holding on to Merry's hand.

Suddenly, Pippin stumbled on an Orc laying on the ground and fell over, losing Merry. He cried out loudly as he fell, his head banging on the ground. He lay still.

Merry turned around in a panic, looking for his friend. He saw him, lying on the ground, a few feet away. His heart wrenched in horror; Pippin was dead. He just knew it.

Tears rolling down his cheeks, he ran over to Pippin and picked him up from under his arms. He dragged Pippin away from the battle, closer to the forest. He stopped and looked up at the trees, intimidated. Just then, an arrow whizzed past his head. He looked down to Pippin. Grunting, he picked him up, not noticing as Pippin's short sword fell to the ground.

Another arrow flew by, and barely missed him. He had to get out of there. He looked into the forest. _This is it,_ he thought. He took a deep breath, and plunged in.


	4. In Fangorn Forest

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

Merry laid Pippin down on the soft forest floor. He sat down next to him, and a wave of weariness overtook him, causing Merry to lie down. He hadn't exactly escaped unharmed, himself. Bruises covered his body, and he had a large cut on his forehead. It wasn't deep, but head-wounds always bled a lot. Plus, he had been stumbling through the forest all night. He got up to look for a stream, before he fell asleep. He was thirsty, and he wanted to clean the cut on his head. He looked over to Pippin, and tears sprang to his eyes. It didn't matter much what he did with Pippin. Pippin was dead.

Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli looked through the smoldering pile of Orc-bodies. Eomer had said that they had slaughtered all Orcs during the night, and had left none alive. They had decided to look anyway, in case the Hobbits had escaped. As Gimli searched through the pile with his axe, he came upon a familiar item.

"Look," said Gimli, holding up a small sword. "One of their swords."

Legolas put his hand over his heart, and said, "Hiro hyn hidh ab 'wanath." (May they find peace after death.) Aragorn kicked a helmet and shouted out in half rage, half anguish, as he fell to his knees. He bowed his head and was silent.

"We've failed them," said Gimli, the grief breaking up his voice.

Aragorn looked at the ground. He noticed tracks on the ground, and outlined them with his hand. He said, "A Hobbit lay here." He outlined a smaller indent close by, saying, "And the other." He realized there were more tracks, and followed them. "They crawled." He noted the shape of the tracks. "Their hands were bound." He went a little further, and picked up a rope. "Their bonds were cut." A hint of hope was beginning to creep back into his voice. He got up and began to walk along the tracks. One pair was imprinted firmly in the ground, and other dragged slightly. The dragged tracks stopped suddenly, replaced by a bigger Orc imprint, with a hobbit-sized imprint next to it. He noticed some blood on the ground; but this was not Orc blood. This blood was bright red. "One of them was hurt." He ran along the tracks of a dragged creature. "The other dragged him." He ran further. "The tracks lead away from the battle!" he shouted, and stopped at the edge of the trees that had so intimidated Merry the night before, and said, "And into Fangorn Forest."

Gimli and Legolas caught up with Aragorn, and stopped dead at the edge of the forest. Gimli looked up at the trees in fear and awe.

"Fangorn," he said. "What madness drove them in there?"

Merry spotted a small stream a few yards away, and ran over to it. He took a long drink from it, and washed the cool, fresh water over his face. He felt guilty for cleaning himself up while Pippin lay in the leaves, covered with dirt and sweat and blood. He walked over to Pippin, and dragged his limp body over to the stream. After laying Pippin's head on his lap, he cupped his hands and took some water from the stream. He poured it over Pippin's face. Pippin did not stir, and Merry's hopes fell. Pippin wasn't going to wake up—he was sure of it now. Tears rolled down Merry's face as he wiped off Pippin's with his cloak.

He brought up another handful of water, and sprinkled it over Pippin's face. Suddenly, Pippin stirred and moaned quietly. Merry's face brightened, and a wide smile crept over his face. Pippin was alive!

Pippin opened his unseeing eyes slowly, He didn't know where he was, what was happening, or even who he was. He head was on fire, and he couldn't move on his own. His fingers twitched feebly, and he lay in the darkness, wondering if this was what it was like to be dead. He did not know that Merry was looking down on him, beaming like the sun, so glad that Pippin was alive.

"Pippin! You're alive!" exclaimed a voice, from some forgotten world in a distant land.

Pippin understood these words, but couldn't determine who the person who had said it was. He knew he had heard that voice before, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Pippin? Can't you hear me? It's Merry! Say something!" said Merry, fear slowly growing in his voice.

Suddenly, as though shot to him from a cannon, he remembered who it was. Happiness shattered his clueless thoughts, and he smiled wide. The smile quickly changed into a grimace of pain, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Merry," he said, both pain and joy in his voice.

"Keep quiet, Pip. It must hurt to talk, and I know you're thirsty. Here, have a drink of this water," said Merry. He reached into the water and pulled out a cupful with his hands. HE brought the water to his friends, lips, and watched as Pippin attempted to swallow. Pippin grimaced, but the water went down and soothed his burning throat. He waited for more water, felling embarrassed that he had to be fed like a little bay. The water came, and he swallowed more easily.

"I'm sorry, Merry. I feel like a child being fed. I wish you wouldn't do this," he said, felling quite guilty.

"Nonsense," said Merry. "You're sick and wounded. I would rather die myself then leave you here alone."

A hint of a smile played on Pippin's lips. Pippin knew his cousin was right. He was glad to be with Merry at a time like this; Merry was his best friend.

Suddenly, weariness overtook him. He closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

"Pippin! You mustn't go to sleep! Stay awake!" said Merry frantically.

"I'm tired," whispered Pippin. "Wake me up later." He lost consciousness once more, and Merry shook him gently.

"Pippin! Wake up!" he said. Shaking Pippin once more, he sighed and let him sleep. Pippin's breaths were shallow, but he seemed to be getting enough air. Merry leaned against a tree and closed his yes, exhausted. He quickly fell asleep.


	5. The Hobbits Meet Treebeard

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

Pippin woke up abruptly. He thought he had heard footsteps. He wished he could see around him, but he still couldn't even distinguish light from dark. He heard Merry stir, and wondered if he had heard the noise too.

"Merry? Did you hear that?" asked Pippin.

"Yes, I heard it, Pip," said Merry.

They lay still, listening for the footsteps. They got louder and louder, and they didn't seem to come from any creature they had ever heard before.

"Merry?" said Pippin, fear gripping his voice.

"What, Pippin?"

"I don't think that's a-"

Suddenly, a humongous tree stood in front of them. It was a frightening creature to the two small Hobbits, at least fourteen feet tall, and with eyes. Merry recoiled in terror, and Pippin, terrified and not knowing what was going on, struggled to stay close to Merry. He felt a huge hand-like thing grip hold of him, and screamed in panic. Merry watched in horror as the creature held up Pippin and looked him over.

"Merry! Run!" cried Pippin desperately, his head pounding. Merry struggled to get to his feet, his panic making him fall and stumble. He crawled backwards into a tree, and used the tree to help him up. He began to run away, but with two long steps, the giant tree-creature picked him up with one swift motion. He examined Merry critically as he walked, making thoughtful noises.

"Two little Orcs, burarum," said the tree-creature.

"It's talking, Merry. The tree is talking," said Pippin, terrified.

"Tree?" exclaimed the creature. "I am no tree. I am an Ent."

Merry looked at it in awe. "A tree herder. A shepherd of the forest!" he marveled.

The Ent looked at the two Hobbits. "Treebeard they call me," it said.

Pippin, still terrified, asked, "And- whose side are you on?"

"I am on nobody's side, because nobody is on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares about the woods anymore," Treebeard said sadly.

Merry looked up at Treebeard. "We're not Orcs! We're Hobbits!" he said.

Treebeard looked at him critically. "Never heard of a Hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me," he said angrily. He began to crush them, and Merry twisted in pain. He looked over to Pippin, who was struggliing violently, terrified and upset. Pippin cried out in agony and his eyes began to roll back in his head, eyelids closing. Merry, still squirming and now panicked, said, "No! You don't understand! We're Hobbits! Halflings! Shire-folk!" He thought of all the names he had heard before for his kind.

"Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know," said Treebeard.

Pippin's eyes snapped open. "The White Wizard?" he said fearfully.

Fear gripped Merry's heart. "Saruman," he whispered, as Treebeard dumped them on the ground. He looked up slowly, the White Wizard before him.

Pippin, still feeling the crushing pain of being squeezed, lay down with his eyes closed. He waited to hear Merry's voice, to make sure he was still there and alive. Merry exclaimed something he could not understand. A sudden wave of pain hit him, and the world disappeared into a land of feverish dreams.


	6. Gandalf is Alive!

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

Merry looked upon Gandalf in disbelief. "I thought you fell..." he said in wonder.

Gandalf looked at him fondly. Merry scrambled up to his feet, and ran to him. Merry gave Gandalf a big hug, then looked up to him, a smile on his lips. The smile faded as he realized that Pippin had not moved, and he turned quickly to look at Pippin. He looked back to Gandalf, who had spotted the Hobbit. Gandalf looked extremely concerned. He walked over to Pippin and knelt down.

He looked at Pippin's bloody head and frowned. He turned the young Hobbit over and put his hand on Pippin's burning forehead. He whispered some words under his breath, and soon Pippin stirred. Gandalf and Merry breathed sighs of relief.

Pippin opened his eyes. He turned his head left and right, hoping to at least see shadows, but saw nothing. He sighed, exasperated, and closed them again. He heard a voice... the same voice as before. He wondered who this person was, and his brow furrowed as he thought.

Merry looked to Pippin, then to Gandalf. Gandalf's eyes were riveted on Pippin's face as he mumbled things that only Pippin could hear. Pippin looked confused, and Merry wished that he could just straighten everything out for him.

Pippin lay in the darkness, still trying to recognize this voice that was speaking reassuring words to him. He listened, hoping for a key word or a name that he could use to remember. "It is not time for sleeping now, Pippin. You must wake," whispered the voice. "I am Gandalf; I have come back."

As soon Pippin heard this, he remembered who it was. Merry and Gandalf could see the relief flood his face as he remembered. Pippin opened his eyes, desperately hoping to see Gandalf's face, to remember what he looked like, but the world was dark. Pippin grew frustrated and began to cry.

"I can't see, Gandalf, I can't see!" he sobbed. "I can't remember anything, and my head hurts, and I can't see a thing! I want to see!"

Gandalf looked at Pippin with sympathy. He turned his head to Merry, who looked on with sad eyes. "He's been like this since the Orcs came... the ones that killed Boromir. They hit Pip on the head," Merry said sadly.

Gandalf was taken aback at the news that Boromir was dead. He wanted to ask what had happened, but knew that it wasn't the time for that. He looked back to Pippin, thinking up a spell that would let Pippin see again. He put his hand over Pippin's eyes. Pippin, who had been sobbing his heart out, quieted and seemed to fall asleep. Gandalf closed his eyes and silently spoke some words in another language. He opened his eyes and ran his hand through the matted, bloody curls on Pippin's head. He looked to Treebeard and said, "When he awakes, he will be able to see. Take good care of these two. This one is Meriadoc," he pointed to Merry- "and this one is Peregrin. I must go now," said Gandalf.

Merry knew better than to question Gandalf. He watched sadly as Gandalf strided away, staff in hand, and looked down to his friend. Pippin was breathing deeply for the first time in a few days, and Merry felt relieved that he seemed to be getting better. He wondered why Gandalf had not also healed the bloody wound on Pippin's head. He looked up to Treebeard, who was staring down at him. Treebeard picked up Merry first, then gently picked up Pippin, so as not to disturb his sleep. He began to walk through the forest.

"Gandalf told me to take good care of you, and that I shall do. Go to sleep, young Master Meriadoc. We're going to my home, where you can rest peacefully for the night," said Treebeard. Merry nodded and closed his eyes, exhausted. He immediately fell asleep.


	7. Remembering

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

* * *

When Merry awoke, everything was dark around him. The air was thick and damp, and it smelled like old leaves. He could barely breathe. He tried to get up, but he was locked in place. He cried out and began to struggle.

Close by, Pippin opened his eyes to the darkness. He struggled to breathe in the thick air, and wriggled wildly, but to no avail. Whatever had him was intent on keeping him in place and possibly killing him. He wailed and shouted for help.

Merry and Pippin heard the footsteps of Treebeard, seemingly from above. Realizing they were underground, they began to flail wildly, wanting to get out. They heard Treebeard stop. Wondering what was happening, they stopped to listen.

Treebeard spoke with a raised voice, wagging his long finger at the tree that held the two young Hobbits. As if obeying, the tree loosened its roots and retreated, and Merry came out from the tree, gasping for air. Pippin's hand came out from under the tree, and Merry ran to pull him out. He yanked Pippin free and set him on the ground.

Pippin's eyes were closed, and he was gasping wildly to get a breath. Merry leaned over him worriedly.

"Pippin, are you all right? Can you hear me?" asked Merry.

Pippin slowly opened his eyes. Expecting darkness, he blinked, taken aback to see a light. He opened his eyes again and saw Merry's worried face leaning over him. A little smile shone on his face, and he looked into his friend's eyes.

Merry looked at Pippin, happily noting that Pippin no longer looked straight ahead like a blind person, but focused on Merry's face. He stood up and held out his hand.

"Well, how does the world look to you?" asked Merry. "Not very good, I imagine; after all, the only thing you've seen is me."

Pippin smiled widely. He grabbed his friend's hand and Merry pulled him up. He lurched forward for a moment, and Merry rushed to catch him. Pippin lifted his face slowly, conscious of his head. "Well, I'd have to say that you're not the best sight in the world," he said with a cheeky grin, "but I guess it's better than nothing at all, eh?"

Merry smiled and tears of joy came to his eyes. This was the side of Pippin he knew, making jokes and playing pranks. The two looked at each other for a moment, silent, then laughed as the embraced. They let go and looked at each other. Pippin's gaze went beyond Merry to Treebeard, and his face became confused.

"This is Treebeard, Pippin. Remember?" said Merry.

Pippin looked at him in wonder. He said, "This is the Ent?"

Merry laughed as he watched Pippin, astonished, stare at Treebeard. He looked up to Treebeard, who had been standing and watching the two. Pippin put his hand up to scratch his head, and stopped when he felt the dried blood mixed in with his curls. He looked confused, and turned to Merry.

"You got hit in the head, Pip. Don't you remember?" asked Merry.

Pippin looked even more confused than before. He had known he couldn't see, but he had been too sick and tired to think about anything but sleeping. He realized that the only things he could remember were Merry and Gandalf and the forest. He couldn't even remember how old he was. Merry grew worried as Pippin just stood there, looking at him, confusion in his eyes.

"Merry..." started Pippin. "How... old am I?"

Merry looked at Pippin, worried. "You're 28, Pip."

"And... what are we doing here?"

"We came here, hiding from Orcs."

"Why were we near any Orcs in the first place?" Pippin asked, now bewildered.

Merry began to realize that Pippin could not remember anything at all; not even his own age. His fear began to grow as he thought about all of the things Pippin wouldn't be able to remember: his family, his friends, his enemies. He looked to Pippin, who was staring at him, now afraid himself.

"We were rescuing Frodo," he explained, hoping that Pippin would at least remember who Frodo was. Pippin cocked his head.

"Merry?" he said timidly.

"What?" Merry said, afraid that he already knew what the question would be.

"Who is Frodo?"


	8. Back to the Way it Was

DISCLAIMER: FANFICTION. That means the characters aren't mine. A lot of the lines aren't mine either, you'll know which ones are and which ones aren't if you've seen LOTR:TTT:EE. If you can figure that out.

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Merry had been glad that Pippin could see again, but now he had a new problem on his hands. Pippin couldn't remember a thing, not even when it was told to him.

"Merry?" whispered Pippin, leaning against a tree.

"What?" replied Merry, still thinking.

"I think I've remembered my last name."

"Well, what is it then?"

"Took?"

Merry beamed, glad that Pippin had remembered something on his own. Pippin, noting that Merry was smiling, grinned from ear to ear, proud of himself. He closed his eyes. Merry watched his friend, wondering what he was doing.

"I'm tired, and I've got a dreadful headache," said Pippin. "I'm going to sleep now."

Merry nodded and watched as Pippin tried to go to sleep. He first tried laying down flat on the ground, but Merry could see that it hurt his head by the way he quickly shifted position. Then Pippin tried laying on his side, but couldn't seem to stand this for long. He didn't even stay on his stomach for a whole two seconds. He finally gave up and leaned against the tree again, staring out into space. Merry wondered what Pippin was thinking about; he looked confused.

Pippin concentrated on remembering common things, such as his parents' names. He thought hard, trying to bring up an image of his father. He could see the hair and the body, but the face was a big blur. He tried to figure out his mother instead. The image didn't come to him, and he grew frustrated. His head hurt, he couldn't go to sleep, and he was stuck in the middle of a forest with no idea who anyone was or even his parents' names. His lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears.

Merry hopped up and ran over to Pippin as soon as he saw his cousin's troubled face. He knelt down next to Pippin and put his hand on Pippin's shoulder.

"Pippin? What's wrong?" asked Merry softly.

Pippin's face twisted as he tried to hold it in. Merry shook him gently and repeated himself. Pippin turned slowly to look into Merry's eyes. As soon as Pippin saw his friend's worried face, he burst into tears, unable to control himself any longer. Merry hugged Pippin to his chest as Pippin sobbed. He felt pity for his friend; Pippin hadn't even come of age yet and he already had faced more troubles than any creature should in a lifetime. He held him until the sobbing ceased and was replaced with the deep breathing of sleep.

Merry let Pippin's head slide onto his lap. Seeing the dark red that still clung to Pippin's hair, he remembered the wound on Pippin's head. He took the opportunity to check it out. It looked pretty bad. Merry ran his fingers through Pippin's hair to loosen it from the dried blood, and little pieces fell into his lap. Paying no heed to them, he began to comb through Pippin's hair. Every stroke brought out more and more of the hardened blood, and the natural color of Pippin's hair came out. He skipped around the area where Pippin had been hit, but raked out all the rest. By the time he was done, his lap was covered with little pieces of dried blood. He looked upon it with disgust. He couldn't figure out how to get rid of it without moving Pippin. After a while, it annoyed him so much that he just had to move it, so he lifted up Pippin's head to brush it off. Pippin's eyes snapped open, and he yelped in pain. Merry jumped a foot and his head whipped down to Pippin, who was glaring at him. Merry looked away in guilt.

"I'm sorry, Pip," said Merry meekly.

Pippin didn't answer, but huffed and closed his eyes again. Merry, feeling quite guilty, brushed away the little specks and with extreme care laid Pippin's head on the ground as he got up. Pippin shifted uncomfortably and lay still. Merry relaxed and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He got up and brushed off his shirt and cloak, wondering what had compelled him to do such a thing such as what he had just done.

His thoughts shifted to food, and his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten for at least two days, and he was starving. He sat down again next to Pippin, daydreaming about the wonderful pint of ale he had had at the Prancing Pony. He smiled as he remembered Pippin's astonished face at the size of Merry's mug. He remembered what had happened next, and frowned. Pippin sometimes caused a little too much trouble.

Sometimes a lot of trouble, thought Merry, thinking of Moria. Pippin had been a little too curious, and that skeleton in the well had summoned the Orcs, then the Goblins, then the Balrog. Merry shuddered at the memory of the Balrog, and the falling of Gandalf. He was glad Gandalf had come back, but wished that he had stayed with them and healed Pippin's head. With this thought he looked to Pippin, whose mouth was moving as if he was speaking to someone. Merry frowned again and watched as Pippin "talked" to the person in his dreams.

Merry grew alarmed when Pippin began twitching as well as talking, and moved closer to him in case he was needed. Pippin's eyes squeezed together and he gasped, and Merry grew frantic. He shook Pippin hastily, making Pippin cry out loudly.

"Pippin! Wake up!" cried Merry. "It's all right! It's all right!"

Pippin screamed in his dream, and Merry shook him wildly. "Pippin!" he shouted, shaking in fear, tears running down his face. "Pippin!"

At last Pippin opened his eyes and looked about madly, his eyes wide, his face one of terror. His eyes turned to Merry, who was still shaking next to him, and he relaxed and began to weep. Merry also relaxed, and moved Pippin's head to his lap. Pippin grimaced, but didn't say anything.

"What's wrong? What happened, Pippin?" asked Merry.

Pippin closed his eyes. "I had a horrible dream... Gandalf and you and I and some other people- I think there was an Elf and a Dwarf too- were running in a dark place. Then there were Goblins. They were all around us. Then there was a noise, and they all ran, then Gandalf said to run and we all ran too. We ran across a bridge, all of us except Gandalf. Then a terrible black thing with fire walked in and started to go across the bridge, but Gandalf stopped it and it fell into the dark under the bridge, and Gandalf..." he trailed off, terrified by his dream. "It was so real," he whimpered.

"Moria," whispered Merry. Pippin looked up to him, tears running down his face. He closed his eyes and wept quietly. Merry looked down to his friend. He seemed so small and terrified. Merry felt pity for Pippin, holding the poor traumatized Hobbit in his arms. He sat there with Pippin, thinking, while Pippin's sobs slowly ceased. Merry wondered if he was asleep.

His thoughts were interrupted when Pippin suddenly shifted and sat up carefully. He looked to Merry, smiling.

"I remember who Frodo is," he said. "And the Elf and the Dwarf too. We were all going somewhere, weren't we? To destroy something. A ring, yes, a ring, we went to destroy it. With Frodo... a-and Sam! And there was you and me, and Gandalf, and Legolas and Gimli. And Strider, and..." he paused. "And Boromir."

Pippin looked confused. Merry couldn't blame him. He had been hit in the head in the woods, and probably couldn't remember what had happened.

"The woods..." said Pippin. "The Orc killed Boromir in the woods. Then we attacked them... and now we're here. How did we get here?" asked Pippin.

Merry frowned, remembering all that had happened in the last couple of days. He told Pippin the whole story as Pippin tried to remember. He obviously couldn't, but shrugged it off.

"I don't think I want to remember," said Pippin. "It sounds awful."

Merry nodded, shuddering at the memories. "You don't," he said. "Believe me, you don't."


End file.
